Soul Survivors: Cambodian Tradition Lives On At Sala Lodges

"To stay here is to inhabit actual, traditional Khmer wooden houses relocated to a Siem Reap site from across Cambodia, each built between 1956 and 1985 and once owned by everyone from carpenters to fishmongers, with the largest a former army barracks. Eleven stilted lodges feel like a serene, self-contained village, distinguished by intricate roofs and carvings, terrace whittlings, small vegetable patches, and even transplanted palm trees, with views over brimming gardens and sunken rice paddies. Sensitive updates add modern bathrooms, wifi, air conditioning, and handsome furniture from Rajasthan as a nod to nearby Angkor’s Hindu origins, while newly built public spaces (pool, bar, restaurant, and lodge) adopt a concrete look the Phnom Post called 'uber-chic' that complements rather than overwhelms the heritage dwellings. Born of a grueling de- and reconstruction inspired by Cambodia’s nomadic tradition—and occasionally sacrificing houses to repair others—the project aims to offer 'real living' in homes the founders insist 'have souls'; since opening in 2013, it’s hired locally and from the hospitality schools where the owners teach, even as most guests are foreign." - Mitchell Friedman